Church officials discuss day-care arrest

Published: Friday, June 28, 2013 at 2:21 p.m.

Last Modified: Friday, June 28, 2013 at 2:21 p.m.

The senior pastor of a church day-care where a former employee was charged Thursday with lewd and lascivious molestation on a 4-year-old girl said a meeting was held Thursday night with parents to discuss the alleged incident.

Marty Shea, senior pastor at the Village View Community Church in Summerfield, said officials with the church-operated day-care called all the parents to a meeting that included Marion County Sheriff's Office Detective Bobby Levay, the lead investigator in the case.

Shea said none of the parents have given any indication they would remove their children from the facility.

He said he is a father of three children and has 13 grandchildren and would have concerns and questions because a trust has been broken. He said the families are being offered counseling.

Shea, who has been with the church 15 years, said he immediately wanted to know if any policies or procedures were violated, and he discovered they were not. He said all employees — including Nathan Michael Hubbard, 20, who was arrested Thursday — are subjected to an FBI background check, fingerprint check and interview.

Shea also said they have surveillance cameras in place at the center and training for the children about stranger danger, good touch versus bad touch and good secrets versus bad secrets.

"We want to provide the safest atmosphere for the children," he said.

The mother of the 4-year-old told day-care officials that her daughter had said she was awakened from her nap by Hubbard, who made her sit next to him and asked her to touch his pocket, which she did.

Shea said he and his wife were told about the alleged incident and talked to Hubbard, a member of the church who had been working at the day-care since late May. At first, Shea said, Hubbard denied the allegation. Shea said when he told Hubbard to write about what happened, Hubbard said he could not lie and said the allegation was true.

Shea said Hubbard was fired immediately and was escorted off the property, and the Sheriff's Office and Department of Children and Families were notified.

Levay interviewed Hubbard, who admitted waking up the girl and making her touch his private area. He said he never touched her.

A DCF official said they have had no prior history with the day-care.

Anyone who believes their child may have had inappropriate contact with Hubbard can call Levay at 368-3568.

<p>The senior pastor of a church day-care where a former employee was charged Thursday with lewd and lascivious molestation on a 4-year-old girl said a meeting was held Thursday night with parents to discuss the alleged incident.</p><p>Marty Shea, senior pastor at the Village View Community Church in Summerfield, said officials with the church-operated day-care called all the parents to a meeting that included Marion County Sheriff's Office Detective Bobby Levay, the lead investigator in the case.</p><p>Shea said none of the parents have given any indication they would remove their children from the facility.</p><p>He said he is a father of three children and has 13 grandchildren and would have concerns and questions because a trust has been broken. He said the families are being offered counseling.</p><p>Shea, who has been with the church 15 years, said he immediately wanted to know if any policies or procedures were violated, and he discovered they were not. He said all employees — including Nathan Michael Hubbard, 20, who was arrested Thursday — are subjected to an FBI background check, fingerprint check and interview.</p><p>Shea also said they have surveillance cameras in place at the center and training for the children about stranger danger, good touch versus bad touch and good secrets versus bad secrets.</p><p>"We want to provide the safest atmosphere for the children," he said.</p><p>The mother of the 4-year-old told day-care officials that her daughter had said she was awakened from her nap by Hubbard, who made her sit next to him and asked her to touch his pocket, which she did.</p><p>Shea said he and his wife were told about the alleged incident and talked to Hubbard, a member of the church who had been working at the day-care since late May. At first, Shea said, Hubbard denied the allegation. Shea said when he told Hubbard to write about what happened, Hubbard said he could not lie and said the allegation was true.</p><p>Shea said Hubbard was fired immediately and was escorted off the property, and the Sheriff's Office and Department of Children and Families were notified.</p><p>Levay interviewed Hubbard, who admitted waking up the girl and making her touch his private area. He said he never touched her.</p><p>A DCF official said they have had no prior history with the day-care.</p><p>Anyone who believes their child may have had inappropriate contact with Hubbard can call Levay at 368-3568.</p><p><i>Contact Austin L. Miller at 867-4118 or austin.miller@starbanner.com.</i></p>